


Princess of ThunderClan

by Kamije_Celeek



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Human AU, Multi, Princess Joins ThunderClan AU, Princess-centric, Surprise Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-08-29 22:36:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16752754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamije_Celeek/pseuds/Kamije_Celeek
Summary: She never thought she was cut out for the wild life of the Clans outside Chelford.  It was more her brother's area.  However, when her boyfriend joins the gang of hoodlums that are terrorizing her town, she realizes that Chelford is no longer safe.  Heavily pregnant, Princess scales the wall of Chelford and runs into the woods, joining ThunderClan.  There, she hopes that she and her children will be safe.  And it works, until several years later when the past comes back to haunt her, and she must make a choice between the comfort of Chelford or the Clan that accepted her...





	1. Into the Clans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So none of you have probably seen this, but a while back, I posted a short human AU dialogue on Tumblr. In this dialogue, Longtail calls a pregnant Princess fat and she slaps him for it, which he ends up thinking is hot. It was a joke, but it inspired me to write something for a human AU that wasn't one from my existing timeline.
> 
> Yeah, it's gonna be one of those stories.

_I have to find Fireheart._

That was the one thought going through the mind of Princess as she ran through the forest, leaving the city she'd known all her life behind her. It was no longer the safe haven she'd thought of it as, now that BloodClan was in charge. She wanted safety. She wanted to protect her unborn children that were inside her belly. And she could only think of one place outside Chelford where that was even possible for a woman like her.

_ThunderClan. They took in my brother; surely, they'd let me in?_

Her chest ached from the effort. She'd never run this far before, but then again, she'd only climbed the walls of Chelford once in her life before now. Her brother had climbed them daily until he joined the Clans, and even now, he had climbed them time and again to visit her. How would he react to seeing her outside her home, outside of town?

"Stop, trespasser!"

She froze at a man's voice. She turned to see three people—two men and a woman. One man had a mean look to him, with dark gray hair and a seemingly-permanent scowl on his face. The other was younger, with hair colored dark brown and a look that suggested he was only defending their territory. The woman had blonde hair down to her waist, tied in a braid. She and the younger man appeared about Princess's age.

"How  _dare you_  enter ThunderClan territory, you Softlife?!" the older man snapped.

"Darkstripe—" protested the younger man.

"Quiet, Dustpelt!" Darkstripe growled at the young pregnant woman and moved towards her, making her fall backward onto her bottom. "We need to teach her a lesson!"

To Princess's shock, the blonde woman stepped between Darkstripe and Princess, acting as a barrier to the man who had drawn a knife and stepped closer.

"She's pregnant! You'd attack a defenseless pregnant woman, Darkstripe?!"

"Sandstorm. I knew you had a soft spot for Softlifes!"

"It's not a soft spot; it's common decency!" Sandstorm had a determined look and Princess recognized the name; Fireheart had mentioned her on his last visit, saying that the warrior had been treating him with more respect lately.

"What's going on here?" asked another man, this one with white hair and yellow eyes. He had an air of dignity to him.

"We have a Softlife trespasser!" spat Darkstripe.

"I don't see a trespasser. I see a terrified and exhausted young pregnant woman who needs shelter for the night. What's your name, young lady?"

"I-I'm Princess."

"Well, Princess, you can come with us to our camp and rest for the night. My name is Whitestorm. I'm one of the senior warriors."

"Thank you, Whitestorm." He smiled and offered her a hand, which she accepted graciously. Sandstorm narrowed her eyes at Darkstripe, following right behind Princess to ensure the dark warrior didn't get any bright ideas. Darkstripe and Dustpelt followed behind the others, Darkstripe grumbling about soft-hearted warriors and Softlifes.

They reached the camp a few minutes later, Princess feeling vulnerable. However, it took a few moments for her to be noticed. Most of the people in camp were cooking, cleaning, talking, or working on clothing. Whitestorm stopped and nodded to Princess.

"I'm going to let Bluestar know we have a visitor," he told her. "Go over by the nursery; the queens there will take care of you." He gestured to a building where a pretty woman was stroking her pregnant belly and humming.

Sandstorm, Dustpelt, and Darkstripe dispersed, leaving Princess alone in the middle of camp. She turned towards the nursery Whitestorm had pointed out and took a deep breath. Before she could go there, though, she was stopped by a man with pale hair. There were dark streaks in it, though, and he was fairly tall.

"Hey, what are you doing here, you  _Softlife_?!" he hissed.

"I'm…"

"We have enough mouths to feed!"

"I was offered shelter for the night."

"Like I said, we have enough mouths to feed without adding a fat Softlife like you!" She narrowed her green eyes.

"You want to try that again?" she asked in a low voice.

"How  _stupid_  are you?! You're a fat Softlife who needs to get out of—"

 _WHAP_!

The man stopped talking and held his cheek.

_She slapped me!_

"You need to learn some  _tact_!" she snapped. "I'm not  _fat_ , I'm  _pregnant_!"

"I-I'm sorry!" he stammered, still shocked that this outsider—this  _Softlife woman_ —had slapped him.

"You should be. Be more aware and tactful next time." She headed for the nursery, where the pretty woman greeted her with kind words of welcome.

"My name is Brindleface," the pretty woman introduced herself. "Don't mind Longtail; he treats all outsiders that way. What's your name?"

"I'm Princess. Is it  _really_  okay if I stay here?"

"It's fine. Frostfur, Goldenflower, Speckletail, and I will help you adjust. Is there a reason you're out here?"

"It's not safe where I lived before. I came here hoping to find somebody."

"And who would that—"

"Princess?!"

The two women turned at the voice to see Fireheart, bright orange hair blazing in the sunlight, staring at his sister in shock.

"Fireheart!" she breathed, running over and hugging him.

The Clan stared in shock.

"Fireheart, who is this?" asked a female voice. A woman with blue-gray hair and bright blue eyes was looking at them, her armband telling of her rank as leader.

"This is my sister, Princess. She's from Chelford, same as me."

"I had no idea you had a sister," Whitestorm commented, stepping beside the leader.

"Why are you here?" Fireheart asked Princess.

"It's not safe in Chelford anymore," she replied, bowing her head and releasing her brother from her grip. "I came here because I figured it was safer with you."

"Not safe? What about the wall?"

"The wall is part of why it isn't safe—nobody can leave. I didn't want to go somewhere where I didn't have anybody, so I came here. I want to join ThunderClan, for the sake of my children and my own safety."

Whispers rose among those gathered. An older woman with dark gray hair and orange eyes watched from a cave that was in the corner of the camp. The leader held up her hand and the Clan silenced, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Princess, you earnestly wish to join ThunderClan?" she inquired.

"Yes… er…"

"Bluestar," her brother whispered in her ear.

"Yes, Bluestar. I do."

"Then I welcome you, Princess, as a member of ThunderClan."

Princess smiled, then noticed a man with dark hair and orange eyes glaring at her. She felt a sense of fear at his appearance—he was covered in scars and was a massive man, even by the standards of these wild Clans. Fireheart glanced at her, then at the man, before taking her back towards the nursery.

"Don't go near Tigerclaw," he warned her.

"Is that his name?"

"He hates Softlifes more than most warriors. Especially me."

"Okay. Thanks for the warning."

* * *

"Are you sure you're comfortable?"

"Yes, Frostfur. I'm fine." Princess smiled at the white-haired woman. "You don't need to fuss over me so much!"

"You're young, and this is your first pregnancy. It's only right that you're as comfortable as possible—especially with leaf-bare approaching."

Princess nodded. She'd felt the chill in the air and knew that snow wasn't far off. Yellowfang (the dark gray she-cat who'd been in the cave) had made regular trips to the nursery to ensure that the queens and their children (who the Clan called 'kits') were warm and well-taken-care of.

It had been a month since she'd arrived in ThunderClan, and she was adjusting well. More than a few of the Clan cats had become more friendly, given her warm and inviting nature. Some still distrusted her, but she'd pretty much been almost completely accepted.

"Um, excuse me?"

Both women looked up at the voice. It was Longtail, looking very nervous and biting his bottom lip pensively. Frostfur crossed her arms at the warrior, waiting for him to say what he wanted to say.

"I, er, wanted to talk to Princess. Alone."

"Fine. But don't pull anything." She left him alone with Princess, who was sitting on her bed, her arms over her belly protectively.

"What did you want to say?" Princess asked.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for calling you a fat Softlife, and I hope you can forgive me. Especially since we're Clanmates now."

"I forgive you. Besides, Fireheart told me that he had even  _less_  of a warm welcome from you when he joined the Clan, so it could have been much worse." Her smile was gentle, and Longtail suddenly realized something that had been bugging him since he learned she was pregnant.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Not at all."

"…where's the father of your children?" Her smile faded.

"I was more committed to our relationship than he was, and he left me to join the people who were terrorizing Chelford."

"Your husband left you?"

"Boyfriend. Fireheart never liked him, anyway. He said he was too flaky and never would have stayed with me long-term. But I'm fine. I have my children on the way, and the entire Clan with me now."

"Good to note." He gave her a smile.

Then there was a cry from outside. Both of them peeked out to see Fireheart running across the camp, carrying his apprentice, Cinderpaw. The young girl's leg was badly twisted, making it obvious something horrible had happened to her. She was also barely conscious, crying in pain.

"Cinderpaw!" yelled Brackenpaw, a horrified look on his young face as he ran towards his sister.

"Bring her here!" Yellowfang called to Fireheart, worry crossing her face.

"Oh, my!" gasped Princess, covering her mouth. "What happened?!"

"She was hit by a car," explained Tigerclaw with a grave expression. "It was an unfortunate accident."

"Well, if it was a car, then it could have been much worse," Princess stated. "At least it was only her leg. She's alive, for now."

"Right," agreed Frostfur, nodding. Princess knew the white-haired woman was the mother of the injured apprentice.

"I'm sure she'll recover."

Princess ignored the slight pain in her belly for a while, waiting to hear news about Cinderpaw. She thought it was just Braxton-Hicks contractions, ones she'd been told about when she lived in town and went to a normal doctor. But as they continued, she realized that they weren't. They were real, and she was in labor.

"Get Yellowfang!" she gasped to Brightkit, who was watching her with concern. The young girl nodded and ran to the medicine den while Princess laid on one of the birthing beds that had been set up.

Within minutes, the Clan medicine woman was in the nursery.

"You stupid queen, waiting until you're this far into labor to send for me…" the old woman muttered. Longtail poked his head into the nursery.

"Can I help?" he asked.

"Get me water!" Yellowfang instructed. "And I'll need towels and blankets."

Longtail nodded and ran off, returning soon with the items. Princess grabbed his hand and Yellowfang nodded.

"She'll need the support if she's to deliver successfully. Stay right there!"

Frostfur reentered the nursery and took Princess's other hand.

* * *

After two hours of labor, it was over.

Just one child—a son. He had pure white hair, just like Frostfur, once the blood was cleaned away. Princess held him close to her chest as he began to suckle, tears filling her eyes.

"He's perfect," whispered Frostfur comfortingly.

"His name is Cloudkit," the new mother declared. "I want him to have a Clan name."

"Of course." Frostfur nodded in agreement. "He'll be a fine warrior one day."

Fireheart entered the nursery; he'd heard that his sister had given birth, and he wanted to meet his nephew. His bright orange hair caught the light as he crossed the threshold. A smile crossed his face.

"He's amazing, Princess!"

"He is, isn't he?" She frowned. "How's Cinderpaw?"

"Stable, for now, but Yellowfang says she's in the hands of StarClan now."

"I'm so sorry this happened to her. I'm sure she'll pull through."

"But her leg will never heal completely."

"You don't know that."

"I do, actually. Yellowfang has done all she can for her. Even if she wakes up and gets better, she'll never be a warrior."

Princess felt tears in her eyes again. It wasn't fair. Cinderpaw had so much ahead of her, and it had been ripped away by a single accident. And Fireheart no longer had an apprentice.

Clan life was harder than she'd thought, but she was going to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll probably noticed I skipped around a lot. This is an AU, and I'm creating an alternate timeline from the typical human AU.
> 
> Also, my sister and I have agreed that Princess and Longtail is our favorite Warriors crack ship. Check out my Tumblr (KamijeCeleek) to see the original post, as well as various projects I have in the works!
> 
> So long and thanks for all the fish!


	2. Allegiances

_ **ALLEGIANCES** _

**THUNDERCLAN**

**LEADER** : Bluestar—woman with blue-gray hair and blue eyes

 **DEPUTY** : Tigerclaw—dark-haired man with orange eyes; covered in scars

 **HEALER** : Yellowfang—tall woman with dark gray hair and orange eyes

 **WARRIORS**  (men and women not expecting children)

Whitestorm—white-haired man with yellow eyes

Darkstripe—dark-haired man with yellow eyes

Longtail—pale-haired man with blue eyes  
APPRENTICE, SWIFTPAW

Runningwind—brown-haired man, fastest runner

Willowpelt—silver-haired woman with unusual blue eyes

Mousefur—small woman with pale brown hair

Fireheart—orange-haired man with bright green eyes

Graystripe—man with dark gray hair and yellow eyes  
APPRENTICE, BRACKENPAW

Sandstorm—woman with blonde hair and green eyes

Dustpelt—man with dark brown hair and amber eyes

 **APPRENTICES**  (children at least 6 years old, training to be warriors)

Swiftpaw—boy with black-and-white hair

Brackenpaw—boy with golden brown hair

Cinderpaw—girl with dark gray hair and blue eyes

 **QUEENS**  (women expecting or caring for children)

Frostfur—beautiful white-haired woman with blue eyes (mother of Brightkit and Thornkit)

Brindleface—pretty brown-haired woman (mother of Fernkit and Ashkit)

Goldenflower—woman with pale ginger hair

Speckletail—woman with pale hair; the oldest nursery queen

Princess—pretty woman with brown hair and amber eyes (mother of Cloudkit)

 **ELDERS**  (former warriors and queens, now retired)

Halftail—big man with dark brown hair

Smallear—small gray-haired man with tiny ears; the oldest man in ThunderClan

Patchpelt—small man with graying black-and-white hair

One-eye—woman with pale gray hair, virtually blind and deaf; the oldest woman in ThunderClan

Dappletail—woman with streaky gray hair

**SHADOWCLAN**

**LEADER:** Nightstar—old man with black hair

 **DEPUTY:** Cinderfur—old man with gray hair

 **HEALER:** Runningnose—small man with gray and white hair

**WARRIORS**

Stumpytail—brown-haired man  
APPRENTICE, BROWNPAW

Wetfoot—gray-haired man  
APPRENTICE, OAKPAW

Littlecloud—very small man

**QUEENS**

Dawncloud—pale-haired woman

Darkflower—black-haired woman

Tallpoppy—brown-haired woman with long legs

**ELDERS**

Ashfur—thin gray-haired man

**WINDCLAN**

**LEADER:** Tallstar—very tall man with black-and-white hair

 **DEPUTY:**  Deadfoot—black-haired man with a twisted foot

 **HEALER:**  Barkface—brown-haired man

**WARRIORS**

Mudclaw—man with dark brown hair  
APPRENTICE, WEBPAW

Tornear—man with brown hair  
APPRENTICE, RUNNINGPAW

Onewhisker—young man with brown hair  
APPRENTICE, WHITEPAW

**QUEENS**

Ashfoot—gray-haired woman

Morningflower—woman with dark blonde hair

**RIVERCLAN**

**LEADER:** Crookedstar—dark-blonde-haired man with a twisted jaw

 **DEPUTY:** Leopardfur—golden-haired woman

 **HEALER:** Mudfur—brown-haired man

**WARRIORS**

Blackclaw—man with smoky-black hair  
APPRENTICE, HEAVYPAW

Stonefur—dark-gray-haired man with scarred ears  
APPRENTICE, SHADEPAW

Loudbelly—man with dark brown hair  
APPRENTICE, SILVERPAW

Whiteclaw—dark-haired man

Silverstream—pretty woman with silver hair and blue eyes

**PEOPLE OUTSIDE CLANS**

Smudge—plump, friendly man with black-and-white hair that lives at the edge of the forest

Barley—black-and-white-haired man who runs a farm near the forest

Ravenpaw—black-haired man who lives with Barley

Brokenstar—man with dark brown hair, former ShadowClan leader

Blackfoot—white-haired man with black tips, former ShadowClan deputy

Clawface—battle-scarred brown-haired man

Boulder—silver-haired man


	3. Warrior Training

After a year in ThunderClan, Princess was finally starting to feel at home. Her son was growing fast, as all children did, and Fireheart brought her food whenever he could. More often, though, she spent her time with the other queens. Brindleface had gone into labor shortly after Princess had given birth—less than a day later. Ashkit and Fernkit were settling in well, and they already appeared to be good friends with Cloudkit.

"Let all those old enough to hunt for themselves gather in the clearing for a Clan meeting!" Bluestar called. Princess walked out and stood by the nursery hut, watching their leader standing on the rock ledge that she addressed the Clan from.

"What do you think this is about?" Brindleface asked, carrying Fernkit in her arms.

"I have no clue."

"Princess, please step forward," instructed Bluestar.

Murmurs broke out in the crowd as the brown-haired woman looked startled, but obeyed her leader.

"People of ThunderClan, it has been one year since Princess joined us as a queen. And today, I would like to offer her status as a full member of our Clan. She'll train as a warrior and receive her apprentice name, if she accepts."

Every person watched Princess, waiting to hear her answer.

"I… I accept, Bluestar."

"Then from this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, your name will be Fawnpaw. Sandstorm." The blonde lifted her head in surprise. "You are ready for your first apprentice. I have chosen you to mentor Fawnpaw. You had a good mentor in Whitestorm, and I hope you can pass on those skills."

Sandstorm stepped forward and, as tradition dictated, the two embraced to confirm the appointment.

"Fawnpaw! Fawnpaw!" the Clan cheered. Fawnpaw glanced at the other queens, who all nodded their approval.

"Shall we go?" Sandstorm asked.

"Give me a moment. I need to ask something of Frostfur."

"I'll look after Cloudkit," the white-haired queen assured her. "You begin your training. Good luck!"

"I'll come, too," offered Fireheart. Sandstorm's cheeks turned pink.

"F-fine," she stammered, accepting his offer. Fawnpaw hid a giggle behind her hand.

They set out from camp, Sandstorm leading the way, and Fawnpaw took in her surroundings. She hadn't gone very far from camp in the past year, and she didn't know much about the territory itself. Fireheart had taught her the different Clans, and about StarClan.

_Our warrior ancestors watch us from above and protect us._

"Fireheart, do you remember when we were little, and our father told us about a friend he made when he was younger?"

"Yeah, actually. That was how he told us about the Clans."

"Your father knew a Clan person?" inquired Sandstorm.

"A member of WindClan, actually," Fawnpaw explained. "A warrior named Talltail."

"Talltail is Tallstar now," Fireheart told his sister. "I met him, and he guessed I was Jake's son."

"Mom always said you looked just like Dad."

"We're almost to the RiverClan border," Sandstorm stated, clearing her throat. The river swirled beyond the rocks, marking the border between their territories.

"Do you think we'll meet a patrol?"

"Maybe. It's always likely. Let's keep moving; you still have to see Fourtrees and the ShadowClan border."

Fawnpaw stayed for a few moments, giving one last, long look across the border, then an arrow almost hit her. She dodged it at the last second, landing on the freshly-fallen snow below her feet.

"Softlife!" sneered a warrior across the way—a man with dark brown hair. He was accompanied by a small patrol of other warriors, all of whom were armed. "Get out of Clan territory!"

"I'm not a Softlife!" she retorted, scrambling to her feet. "I'm an apprentice of ThunderClan!"

"Yeah, right! You're too old to be an apprentice!" He fitted another arrow to his bow and carefully aimed at her, firing.

She was tackled out of the way as the arrow hit her rescuer. Her eyes widened as she saw who it was.

_Longtail?!_

"Shit!" hissed Longtail, holding the shoulder where the arrow had lodged itself. His eyes landed on the warrior who'd fired. "RiverClan attacks unarmed apprentices, now, do they?!"

"She's no Clan person! She's a Softlife!"

"She's been living in ThunderClan for a year now! She's as much a member of our Clan as I am!"

"Fawnpaw!" Fireheart yelped, running onto the scene. Sandstorm was right behind him, both drawing their weapons. The RiverClan patrol left, not wanting to pick a fight in the current season.

"Are you all right?" asked Sandstorm, checking over her apprentice.

"Get Longtail back to camp!" Fawnpaw insisted. "He pushed me out of the way and got hurt!" Fireheart furrowed his brow, then nodded.

"I'll take him. You and Sandstorm can finish learning the territory."

The fiery-haired young man slung his Clanmate's arm over his shoulder, carefully carrying him back to camp. Fawnpaw felt a sense of nothing but worry as she watched them go.

_Why did Longtail save me?_

* * *

"Faster!"

Fawnpaw dodged a strike from Sandstorm.

"Good! You're improving!"

It had been three years now since Cloudkit had been born, and Fawnpaw was still training. Now, however, she was preparing for her final assessment. Sandstorm was the best mentor she could have asked for, and Cloudkit was growing quickly. Already, he was the most troublesome child in the nursery, convincing the other children to sneak out with him on a near-daily basis.

"Do you think I'll be made a warrior after this?" Fawnpaw asked her mentor.

"Of course!" snorted Sandstorm. "For one thing, you've improved greatly over the past year. You're also Fireheart's sister."

"Just because my brother's a great warrior doesn't mean I'll be one." Fawnpaw sat down on a rock to rest, the other woman handing her a container of water. "He's always been good at everything, and he's a rule-follower."

"Wait—rule-follower?! We're talking about  _Fireheart_ , right?"

"Yeah." Sandstorm burst out laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Fireheart breaks the warrior code more than anyone else I know! Seriously!"

"I haven't…"

"…seen him do it? Trust me, he does. You know Yellowfang wasn't always part of ThunderClan, right?"

"She wasn't?"

"Nope. Until a few years ago, she was ShadowClan's healer. Then she was driven out by Brokenstar and his allies and came to ThunderClan territory. Your brother was an apprentice then, and he was the one who found her. Instead of driving her off—like any of the rest of us would have done—he caught a rabbit for her to eat. When he was found with her, she was brought back to ThunderClan as a prisoner and he had to care for her as punishment."

"It's just who he is," Fawnpaw laughed. "He's always been the kind of person who can't stand to see somebody suffering. And it's good that he found her, isn't it?"

"Yeah, because just a few months before you came here, our previous healer was murdered by one of Brokenstar's thugs. It was awful."

"I bet it was."

"Fireheart found her body. And… he was the only person in the Clan who wholeheartedly believed that Yellowfang hadn't done it."

"What was your previous healer like?" Sandstorm huffed.

"She was smart. Capable. Talented. Skilled. Gentle. Kind. And pretty, too. She was younger than most healers in the Clans. Fireheart was close to her." Fawnpaw read Sandstorm's expression and could tell that the blonde somewhat resented the previous healer for that.

"Well, Fireheart never would have been with her, anyway," Fawnpaw commented, smiling. "He needs somebody to keep up with his energy and knock sense into him when he's being a moron. A sweet, gentle woman doesn't sound like his type."

"Thanks for that."

"You've been a good mentor and an even better friend. I want you to be happy."

"Gossiping, ladies?"

They looked up to see Tigerclaw. He had his eyes narrowed, obviously displeased that they were sitting and talking rather than training. Fawnpaw felt a sense of defiance. Her brother didn't trust the dark warrior, and she didn't, either. Tigerclaw gave her a bad feeling that she didn't like in the slightest, and there was nothing that would make that feeling go away around him.

"We were resting," Sandstorm told the deputy. "Fawnpaw has been training hard for her warrior assessment."

"Then you won't see a problem in commencing with that assessment today." Fawnpaw and Sandstorm nodded, and he grinned. "Sandstorm, you'll be one of those assessing her. I will be another. Do you have any requests for the third?"

"I'd ask for Fireheart, so he can see how far she's come, but he'd probably go easy on her. How about Whitestorm?"

"Whitestorm. A good choice. Meet me here at sun-high to begin her assessment."

* * *

At sun-high, Fawnpaw arrived at the clearing with Sandstorm. Tigerclaw and Whitestorm weren't far behind along with Dustpelt, and they looked over the young mother before Tigerstar nodded and began to explain how the assessment worked.

"You will be assessed in three areas—hand-to-hand combat, skill with weapons, and hunting ability. Each of us will observe you and make a judgement on whether or not you pass. Pass two of the three areas and you'll be made a warrior this evening. Fail, and you'll stay an apprentice for another six months. Do you understand, Fawnpaw?"

She nodded.

"Now, for your hand-to-hand combat, you'll be sparring with a warrior of the deputy's choice. I have decided that you'll be sparring against Dustpelt." The young, dark-haired man got into a fighting stance, which Fawnpaw mirrored. "And… go!"

Dustpelt was quick to try and strike her in the side, hoping to take her down quickly. Fawnpaw dodged it with ease before swinging her left fist towards his face. He blocked it—only for her to bring her knee into his gut and knock him to the ground. The warrior sprang back to his feet and tried to hit her cheek, which she blocked with ease.

For nearly five minutes, it went on like that, each trying to strike the other down. Then Tigerclaw lifted his hand.

"Enough. Thank you, Dustpelt. You may return to camp now."

He left and Tigerclaw turned back to the apprentice.

"Now, for the rest of your assessment…"

* * *

By mid-afternoon, Fawnpaw had caught two rabbits and a crow, all of which were put into consideration for her status. She returned to camp and added them to the cook-pile before going to the nursery. Cloudkit was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Cloudkit?" she asked Brindleface.

"He snuck out of camp this morning after you left. Fireheart caught him and brought him back. As punishment, Cloudkit is taking care of the elders."

"Honestly, sometimes I don't know what to do with him."

"All children are like that. Yours just happens to be a little troublemaker."

"He's three now. Three more years and he'll be an apprentice. I'm hoping that his mentor can help straighten him out."

"I hope that Fireheart will be his mentor. Nobody else seems to be able to get him to listen."

"I hope so, too, then."

"Let all those old enough to hunt for themselves gather in the clearing for a Clan meeting!"

The two women went outside to see Bluestar standing on the rock. She looked regal and utterly worthy of respect. Every person in camp was coming out to see what was going on.

"Today, young Fawnpaw had her warrior assessment. Sandstorm, Tigerclaw, and Whitestorm—how did she do?"

"Fawnpaw is a great hunter," Sandstorm began. "What she lacks in physical strength she makes up for in speed and intelligence. Her fighting skills aren't the best, but she's able to down an opponent long enough to escape."

"I agree with Sandstorm, but I must remark that young Fawnpaw is quite the markswoman as well. Her weapon of choice is the bow—which is difficult to use—and she wields it as well as any warrior I've seen," Whitestorm declared. "Not to mention that her spirit is unmatched."

"Despite her roots, and that she is older than most apprentices, she shows as much promise as her brother did," finished Tigerclaw. "We would be fools not to make her a warrior."

"Then it's decided. Fawnpaw, come forward."

Fawnpaw obeyed.

"Do you swear to uphold and defend this Clan and the Warrior Code, even at the cost of your own life?"

"I do."

"Then it is with great pleasure that I bestow upon you your warrior name. Fawnpaw, you are now Fawnblossom. StarClan honors your spirit and commitment to this Clan."

"Fawnblossom! Fawnblossom! Fawnblossom!" chanted her Clanmates. She caught sight of Cloudkit watching with the elders, his blue eyes gleaming with pride and joy. A smile spread across her face.

_I'm a warrior of ThunderClan now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I need to explain some things that might be confusing to my readers.
> 
> —This is an alternate version of Earth where humans age differently. A year for them is the equivalent of two for us until they reach nine years old. Then they essentially age just like we do.
> 
> —Going off this standard, a typical pregnancy only lasts 20 weeks as opposed to 40.
> 
> —In this alternate Earth, it's more common for children to be born as multiples than alone. Cloudkit is an anomaly.
> 
> —Leaders of the Clans are still gifted nine lives.
> 
> —The warrior code is largely the same, save for every instance of cat or kit being replaced with person/people or child/children.
> 
> —In ThunderClan, the leader and healer both still live in caves that are within ThunderClan camp. All bramble structures are made of wood.
> 
> —Possible weapons include bows, knives, axes, and spears.
> 
> —Foxes are now wolves, badgers are now bears, and dogs are wild dogs. (Seriously, though, wild dogs are an issue. And extremely dangerous.)
> 
> If you have any questions about this world, feel free to leave them in a review!
> 
> So long and thanks for all the fish!


End file.
